In Memoria Di
by BloodyHarpy
Summary: The meeting of two youths, a war that waged between the kingdoms, and a destiny that would change everything. This is the story of how it began, and how the course of a world's future was set into motion. Rated T for violence, language and blood.
1. Prologue

Hey, this is **BloodyHarpy**! So, here's a new fanfic with new characters, a new plot, and a new setting. Yayz!!!! I started another fanfic, _**Super Mario: Essence of the Soul**__,_ sometime ago and I'm going to update as steadily as possible during the summer. And then one weekend, I thought of this new story, and I just had to write down something before I forgot it. I've seen some people with different perspectives on the story behind the Mario series and I wanted to take a shot at it. However, I wanted to take a step beyond that... The title, _**In Memoria Di…**_, is Italian for **"**_**In Memory of…" **_I really like this idea and I hope for some good comments on it. ^-^

(**Disclaimer**: I do not own Mario, his games, TV shows, or anything from the Mario franchise. They all belong to Nintendo and their original owners. The OCs belongs with me.) **Enjoy! **

***~____~***

_**Friendship…**_

_**Hatred…**_

_**Love…**_

_**Time…**_

_**...and memories… **_

_**These experiences shape the soul of every living person. **_

_**Destiny may not be defied, but it can be reshaped as well. **_

_**Even in the bitterness of a cruel world, a person can still search for the truth, reach out for the light, and hold on to a miracle.**_

_**In the end, it may save an ill-fated life from utter despair. **_

"_Whatever may have happened, I don't regret I had met you._

_I will never forget, I will never doubt it, and I won't let your memory die away._

_I have left our story within a single place for them to find."_

……………………

"…_Loretta…"_

_*~____~*_

***~~ In Memoria Di… ~~***

Prologue: The Forgotten Memoir

Beyond the borders of the Mushroom Kingdom, on the far side of a small town in a foreign country, a blue car pulled up to a rusty gate of an abandoned residence. Two people, a red spotted capped Toad and a female Koopa, both in fancy suits, stepped out of the vehicle and surveyed the property. The grass was brown with many dirt patches, the walkway was breaking apart, and the house itself looked burned and boarded up.

"Tell me again why we're here, Stan," the Koopa woman complained, speaking in an accent.

"This land hasn't been used for nearly thirty years, and we finally have the lease to it. We're here to inspect the property and the remains of the house to report back to the housing department," Stan replied.

"Okay, so why do you need me?"

"They say this place is supposedly haunted after a terrible accident. No one's sure what happened anymore, but because they were scared to come near this place, the land has just been wasted. So pretty much, Kassidy, you're here to protect me up in case something happens."

"You're really something, you know that?" she said sarcastically.

"Let's not dawdle now. It's really cloudy out and the wind's picking up. The forecast says a severe storm will hit soon. So come along."

The two house contractors pushed the gate open and strolled up to the decrepit house. Stan pulled out a skeleton key from his pocket and jingled the knob as he turned the lock. After a few tries, the lock finally opened, and he pushed the door wide open before stepping in. The first area was the living room with overturned tables, sofas, and paintings on the walls. The carpet was burnt, and dust and cobwebs filled the air, indicated by Kassidy's coughing.

"Let's take a look around. I'll look in the living room and kitchen here. The floor plans show that the bedrooms are down the left hallway; you check that."

Kassidy nodded and they went separate ways. Stan carefully walked over the worn furniture and glass on the floor. The picture frames on the walls were broken, and the glass looked like it was scratched or punched. The pictures themselves were torn or faded. One photo looked like a family portrait, but the paint was smudged so he couldn't to make it out. The kitchen was in no better shape. The air smelled awful and rancid. The refrigerator door was hanging from the hinge and the food inside was moldy and shriveled to nothing. The oven door was wide open, and black with food and grease in the inside.

Kassidy took her time to venture in the back rooms. She pushed one door aside, and the knob came right off. Inside, the walls were charred and black, and the roof had collapse, leaving planks and chips of wood all over the floor. One beam had crashed right through what seemed like a baby's crib. Examining the floor more closely, toys and dolls of different kinds were shattered about into several pieces. The wind coming in from the broken window blew a plastic ball by her feet. "This must have been the baby's room. Those poor people…" she sympathized.

The two contractors converged back into the living room, nearly tripping over everything.

"So how does it look?" Stan asked.

"How does it _look_?" she repeated in disbelief. "This place is a grave site. There's nothing left here to save. It needs to be rolled over."

"Yeah, I see that happening," Stan agreed. "So why would the department send us here if it would be a waste of time?"

"Who knows? Let's just get out of this miserable place."

"Wait, we have to inspect _every_ room. I don't want to return to the office and have them up our rear ends for not doing a 'complete' survey."

Kassidy groaned under her breath as Stan walked into what seemed like a large bedroom. Like the state in the other rooms, it was charred and broken down. The large bed was torn, leaning toward the side because of the broken legs, and large pieces of cotton and feathers were everywhere on the floor and burnt. The dressers on either side of the dismantled bed weren't in any better shape as they were smashed with the clothes sprayed on the floor, and the large mirror was broken. Stan figured in must have been the master bedroom for the couple who lived there.

Kassidy joined him but crossed her arms as she watched him observe the room, wondering when he would be done.

"Come on, Stan. You looked far enough. It's easily noticeable that this building needs to be condemned and torn down."

The suited Toad sighed in defeat and turned to his partner. Just then, something caught his eye. The left side of the bedroom wasn't damaged as the rest of the room. On that side was a sliding closet, still retaining a relatively white surface and two yellow doorknobs. Stan stepped up to it, turned the knobs and slowly pulled opened the doors. Stan didn't know what hit him as a load of junk toppled on his fungal head and piled on top of him.

"Stan, are you alright?" Kassidy asked as she ran to him under the pile.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered as he pushed the belongings off of him.

"I'm surprised there's something actually intact. Is there anything worthwhile in there?" the Koopa wondered.

Stan stood up and searched the emptied closet. All he saw was the ordinary: shoes, clothes, hangers, a few boxes, a small chest…

"Wait, a chest?" He took notice of it on the high rack. "Hey Kassidy, can you get that chest up there for me?" he asked his partner since she was taller than him. She nodded, stood on her toes and reached for it with the tips of her claws. Whoever lived in this home had to be taller than the Koopa species for it to be convenient. After a few tries, she finally got a grip on it, slid it over the edge, and made it fall for Stan to catch.

"Nice work," the Toad complimented.

He set the chest down to look at it closely. It was wooden and painted dark blue with a design pattern of yellow stars and stones for decoration. The lock on the chest was a little rusty, but it still had a strong hold. He looked around and found the missing leg from the bed on the floor. He picked it up and struck it on the lock to break it but had no luck. Kassidy took the leg from him, struck the chest once and it came off easily. She smiled at the humble Toad as he rolled his eyes at her.

He opened the chest, peered inside, and arc his eyebrow.

"A diary?" Stan looked at it confused. It was made of white leather and a strap with the metal lock dangling on the side as if someone just left in opened, and the pages were ragged and slightly brown. The cover was engraved with gold "L" and "R" cursive letters.

"I wonder who's that belonged to?" Kassidy spoke up.

Stan opened the book and glanced at the author page. It was dirty from the dust and the ink was smudging. He did see one clear sentence. "If anyone is to find this memoir, even if you should read it, be sure to treasure the memories."

"That's a very open statement. I don't know why anyone would readily allow a stranger in on their most personal secrets and feelings," said the Koopa. She looked at Stan who was about to nonchalantly turn the pages of the diary. Her quick reflexes whacked the Toad over his red spotted cap, leaving a swelled bump.

"Hey! What was that for!?" he yelled while he rubbed his head, dropping the white diary.

"What did you think you were doing? You just can't go reading other people's diaries! It breaks the code of privacy!"

"Uh, Kassidy, I don't think it matters since the couple here probably died. Nobody is going to miss it."

"You're so cruel! I hope the spirit of the owner haunts you forever!"

"Look, it may give us an idea who lived here and what happened to them. It may even have some info on the land itself," he tried to convince her.

"Hmph!" she scoffed. "I still don't think its right."

"Whatever. I think we're done here. Let's head back to the office and file our report," he instructed with the diary in tow and Kassidy still glaring behind him.

They stepped across the living room and were about to leave when they heard thunder outside. The sounds of rain hit the roof of the house and the rapid taps kept getting louder and faster. Stan quickly ran up to the front door when it suddenly flew open. There was a downpour of rain, the wind blowing furiously, and lightning flashing. Stan grabbed the door knob and pushed the door closed with all his strength. As he held it, Kassidy picked up an old broken table and chair and pushed the pieces against the door to brace it. Once it was secured, Stan relaxed and fell on the carpet to catch his breath.

"I told the boss we should have waited until tomorrow for the storm to go by, but he was as arrogant and impatient as ever. We can't possible hope to drive in that weather now," he said as he took off his wet coat. "We're going have to stay here and wade it out."

Kassidy could have sworn she went deaf for a moment as she couldn't believe what her partner suggested. "Stay…HERE?!!" she growled through her teeth as she turned to him. "The Stars Above know how long we'll be stuck here, and we'll be lucky if this shack doesn't get scattered all over the place!"

"We don't have a choice. The living room looks the most intact. We'll just sit quietly here." Stan walked over to the center of the room and sat on the floor. Kassidy still grumbled to herself as she went and sat on an overturned sofa.

The sun was setting and the street lights would come on soon. The mood was quiet and tense at the same time, making the air thick. Stan wanted something to ignore the daggers coming from his partner's eyes. An idea came into mind, and he took out the ivory memoir. Kassidy shifted her eyes toward him and surprisingly had a smirk on her face. "I told you they wouldn't let you leave with it peacefully."

Stan decided to ignore her superstition. The red spotted Toad was truthfully interested what was written in the diary. What sort of person wanted to leave his or her memories for others to read? He turned past the author page and found a small passage before the real start of it. Luckily, the pages were less ragged and dirty as they progressed. And the passage read:

"_You might have no idea who I am. That's to be expected if you are not me who wrote this. But, if you care to listen to my story, you will understand. I decided to start this memoir after something truly miraculous happened to me. At a time, I never believed in such things or wanted to accept them, but fate wouldn't allow me to run away from it, and in the process, I had endured unforgettable experiences both good and bad, but mostly weird. I don't know how this will turn out for you or for me, but it is important to know the truth, to have something to believe in, and to cherish all the memories of your friends and loved ones."_

"_Let me share mine with you."_

"_My name was Loretta Rigassi…"_

*~____~*

(**A/N**) For future reference, while the diary is being read in present time, the story will take place in the past in third person even though this is supposed to be from the author's eyes. I used the name **Rigassi** from a character from **Super Mario Bros. Super Show**. So next chapter, we get to learn more about the mysterious character, Loretta Rigassi, and her story.


	2. The Girl Who Wished Upon a Star

"_I was once an ordinary girl from another world. _

_Wait, don't close it yet. _

_I know it may sound farfetched at first, but it is the truth. It was just another day on my world, on Earth, with me as a struggling student in college in a city called Brooklyn…" _

Chapter 1: The Girl Who Wished Upon a Star

**December 14, 19****

"Ms. Rigassi!!"

A piercing yell slammed into the student's ears like two cars crashing into each other. She jolted her head up with a piece of paper stuck to her face. Despite the shock, she was still groggy and ready to collapse into sleep again. She stared in daze at her literature instructor, a plump man in a blue shirt and tie gazing maliciously at her.

"Loretta Rigassi, pay attention! If you fall asleep again, then I'm sending you out of the classroom!" he warned her.

"Uh…y, yes sir," she quietly replied.

Loretta was a sophomore in college and recently turned nineteen years old. She had long, dark hair, big sapphire eyes and glasses, wore a green cotton blouse under a white jacket and a thin skirt over her tan skin. She was very short for her age, standing a few inches above four feet and a little chubbier than some girls but calling her fat would be over-exaggerating.

Loretta put her hand on heavy head to desperately keep it up. In her opinion, literature is one of the most boring topics to listen to, especially if you have an outrageously boring teacher like Mr. Roberson who won't stop talking in monotone. Thankfully, the class ended and everyone was free to go for the holiday. Loretta would have rushed right out of the door, but she had some business to take care of with the teacher.

"Mr. Roberson?" she started.

"You have some nerve coming up to me after your little interruption of my lecture with your snoring."

"I'm so sorry, sir. I promise it will never happen again. But, I would like to discuss my grade for this class."

"I already told you before, Ms. Rigassi. If you didn't get a least a B on your paper, then you would more likely fail the course."

"That's exactly what is wrong here!" she raised her voice. "I looked over that paper again and again, and I even gave it to other English professors to read, and most of them said that it was worth a B. Mr. Roberson, all I am asking is for you to look over it again and reconsider," she begged.

"Loretta, my hands are tied. Now, I have been teaching for 20 years, and I know a C paper when I see one. I know you need the grade to keep your scholarship, but maybe you should have thought of that and tried harder than you did. Final grades are already posted. There is nothing I can do."

Mr. Roberson stood from his seat and collected his things. He head toward the door but looked back to Loretta with somewhat sympathetic eyes. "You can always reapply for the scholarship next year. I'm sure you can manage until then."

With that, he turned off the lights and left the classroom, leaving Loretta in complete distraught.

*~____~*

The walk on campus seemed long and painful for her. She just wished for time to stop and keep to herself as long as she wanted. The chill of the winter air wasn't making her feel any better but rather made her feel bitterer. She made it to her green, rusted car, which looked like it was ready to fall apart at any moment, in the parking lot.

"Yo, Retta!" a voice called.

Behind her, a figure lounged and spun around with her neck, almost dragging her down. It was another woman, thin, blonde hair, hazel eyes, and sporting a very fashionable black coat and gloves.

"Hey, Retta! Where are you off to? There's a party at the junior dorms and I found this boy who can sneak us in," the girl grinned.

"No thanks, Amber. I'm not in the mood for fun," Loretta answered sadly to her friend.

"What's the matter, Loretta? Did something happen?"

"I just chatted with Mr. Roberson, and he won't even look at my paper again. Basically, I failed literature."

"That's so totally unfair!" Amber argued. "Everyone knows Mr. Roberson is an egotistic jerk, but this tears it!"

"And now I'll lose my scholarship, too. He said I could just 'apply for it next year', but my parents don't possibly have the money to support me for two semesters without it. Oh, mama's never going to look at me again…"

"Loretta, don't let this get you down. I'm sure it will work out. You never know what's going to happen around the corner," said Amber, trying to cheer her up. Loretta simply stood in the snow with no effect from her friend's kindness. "Do you want some company and grab a coffee before you leave for home?"

"No…no, that's alright. I just want to be alone now."

"Well, okay. Call me later."

"Sure."

Amber walked off back on the campus, and Loretta entered her car and drove off onto the highway.

*~____~*

New York was the city of lights and glamour. It never rested and it was never quiet. Only after Loretta exited the highway and into the neighborhoods out of the city limits did it become more peaceful and she could think to herself. She turned on the radio and a blues song was playing. It was just perfect.

Suddenly, a strange sound clanked in the hood of the car. The sounds began to sputter and the car was rolling to a stop. She tried turning her key but the engine was giving out on her. Then, smoke was seeping out. Loretta pulled over and ran out of her car before it could explode on her or something. It didn't, but Loretta was still cautious. She approached the hood, lifted it and backed away as the sweltering smoke almost burned her tan skin. She knew the engine was completely fried.

"Oh, cazzo…"

She sat on the cold ground in front of her useless car, still swearing under her breath and fogging up her glasses. When she was done, Loretta sighed and looked up at the sky with clouds obscuring the stars, as if one can see any stars in New York. To her left, she spotted an old payphone. She stared at it for a moment and decided to use it. Luckily, she had some coins in her purse. If only they made phones that you can take anywhere. But, only rich people could hope to get something like that.

Loretta took her coins, paid the several cents, and dialed the number. One ring…Two rings…Three rings…No answer. The machine came on with a male voice telling her to leave a message.

"Hey, Anthony. Just calling to see how you've been doing, fratello. Is Florence fun over there? I know you'll make a good architect someday. I wish I could be as talented and useful as you." There was a long pause. "I'm just rambling now. Anyway, I hope to talk to you later, fratello. Ciao…"

She hung up the phone unsatisfied. She saw she had enough coins for one more call but she hesitated. Her parents had given her so much to get into college and she screwed it up. Why would she want to hasten their disappointment, even if it meant stranding herself in the streets with no car? Loretta put her change back in her pocket and sat by the car again. She was in disarray to understand how she was going to do this. Once again, she groaned and gazed at the sky which began to clear, yet, there were hardly any stars to admire. However, she continued to look; it was the only thing keeping her relaxed.

Then, something curious caught her eye. Across the night sky, a shooting star was soaring over. It was a short spectacle and on impulse, she closed her eyes and made a wish. _"I wish something could help me out of this mess."_

Suddenly, a bright light was coming towards her. She thought it was incoming vehicle and rapidly jerked up from her seat. As she glanced ahead, there was no car coming to run her over. Then, Loretta looked up behind her and saw a glow floating towards her. Frighten, she climbed in her car, locked the door and hid in the seats. Through the window, and to her amazement, the glow slowly descended down on the street. Its illumination receded, and it was the figure of a shimmering star in the generic shape. The strangest part was the star had two eyes blinking curiously.

"What the hell…is this?" she whispered to herself trying to figure out how it could be real.

The star floated in many directions, looking confused.

"**A wish…?"** it spoke.

"_Wait, how can it be speaking?!"_ Loretta screamed in her head.

"**I…heard a wish…"**

"_Heard a wish? Is it talking about me? What am I saying?! This is insane!"_

The star continued to wonder aimlessly. **"Where are you?"** it asked childishly. It flew down a nearby alley and away from the car.

Loretta sat up and watched the alley to see if it would comeback. She waited for a minute or two but saw nothing. She unlocked the door and stepped out, and after staring for so long, she started to chuckle.

"It was just a hallucination. Yeah, that's right…I was just so upset that I went and imagined everything. I'm so silly…"

Without noticing, Loretta was slowing walking toward the alley. Was it curiosity? It seemed like more she was in a trance being pulled in by some force. Finally, when she regained consciousness, Loretta noticed the alley led to an abandoned apartment. The grass was dirty and full of litter. The most of the windows were broken and the bricks were falling apart. A sign was in front of the building. It was due for demolition for a new apartment. Looking at the building again, it was a likely hazard, ready to fall over.

"What am I doing here?" she laughed at herself as she shook her head.

Loretta turned around back to her car.

"**Don't go."**

The voice was back again. She spun toward the broken down apartment.

"**Let me…grant…your wish."**

"Grant…my wish?"

There it was again, the feeling and force of being dragged toward the voice and toward the illusion which were beckoning her. Loretta couldn't stop, even if it meant scrolling up to a building which could collapse on her. Up the crumbling stone steps, she came to the taped up door. She simply tugged on the tape, and it all easily fell apart, leaving to door free to open. Loretta slowly grabbed the rusty doorknob, turned it, and pulled with a cracking sound from the doorway.

Inside the lobby area, a set of dusty stairs steered up the floors near the left, and a long, torn, green carpet stretched down the corridor in front of her. Bits of the wall were missing, and the holes allowed the moonlight to shine through. Again, the voice whispered, and it was coming from the corridor. Loretta gathered her courage and ventured inside the building

The holes in the walls and ceiling were bringing in the cold wind from outside making the dwarf girl shiver. Dry grass was growing on the floor molding and old cobwebs dangled on the ceiling. The hallways soon became a labyrinth, hardly showing any signs of differences to tell each new turn apart. She had been walking for minutes now, and even if she was going in a straight path, she should have reached the other end of the building. Was it a trick?

"**Closer…"**

The voice was her only guide. Why was she so committed to all of it? In her mind, it was to waste time before she had to go home and face her parents, but on the other hand, she became curious. An entity in the shape of a star wanted her to follow it, and she couldn't help but obey it. It was an otherworldly power having grabbed hold of her, and she struggled to break free, but at the same time, she was choosing to let it on her on accord.

All of a sudden, Loretta noticed the floor becoming lush with grass and even small flowers were sprouting. There was less dust in the air and the hallway was becoming warmer that she had to take off her coat.

"Man, did they forget to turn off the heater in the back?" she asked while in discomfort.

Soon, the walls were getting covered with moss and plants, and the ground felt wet. At the end of the corridor, Loretta could see a light. Excited to make it to the end of the darkness, she picked up her pace and reached for the light.

When she passed through, a large room spread around her. It looked like the backyard of the apartment, but it was a lovely garden with a bounty of hedges, moss, and flowers glistening by the pale moonlight. There were even signs of insects buzzing around the area.

"I didn't think apartments would have a botanical garden, and judging by the warm air, it must still be functioning. This must have been a real fancy place at one time," she figured.

Loretta wondered in the garden, enjoying the mild warmth from the freezing weather. She pasted through a gate with two pillars and stepped into puddles of water. Down the middle path, the water was running from a center fountain. Stepping closer, Loretta saw that it wasn't a fountain but a very large, green tube overflowing.

"**You are finally here."**

Loretta stopped and searched for the voice. When she looked up at the roof, she noticed the night sky and moon were inside the room. She thought it was a glass ceiling, but then there was an aurora of pink and green colors rippling in the sky and the stars looks like they were moving.

"This can't be real…" Loretta murmured as she dropped her coat.

"**It is real."**

"W, what are you? Why did you lead me here?" she questioned it though she couldn't believe she was trying to have a conversation.

"**Do you wish to believe and hope?"** it asked.

She listening for the voice and it seemed to be coming from the green pipe. She carefully stepped toward the tube, getting her shoes soaked from the water. She leaned over the edge and peered into the inside but there was nothing but water gushing out.

"**Here I am."**

Nearly getting a heart attack, Loretta grabbed the pipe's rim to keep from falling over, despite getting her clothes wet, and spun around as she gazed into the mystic black eyes of the star being. It was somehow than her this time with a yellow glow that was soft and warm but still brilliant to make her wince at its light. She didn't know what to do as this thing was blankly staring at her so innocently.

Behind her, the water suddenly stopped overflowing and it started to recede, but Loretta was too distracted by the strange entity to notice. Then, a light appeared in the darkness of the hole, and it rapidly shot up closer to the surface. An intense beam flew from the green tube, nearly grazing Loretta's dark hair, and water spouted in all directions like a geyser. From inside the tube, thorny vines reached and entangled Loretta's arms, waist, and neck. It was all happening so fast she didn't have a chance to react, and the vines pulled her down the green tube without a struggle.

"SOMEONE…HELP ME!!!!!!"

Her screams echoed down the tube until they were completely gone. The star that surprised her giggled mischievously and vanished, leaving only a few sparkles to fall to the wet ground.

…………

"**And so, your wish begins…"**

*~____~*

(**A/N**):

**Italian translations**

**cazzo** - damn

**fratello** - big brother

**ciao** - bye

So if you haven't guessed now, **Loretta Rigassi** comes from an Italian family. She rarely speaks Italian unless it's with her family or she gets really excited or upset, and it's simple words. She has a brother, **Anthony**, who is in Florence, Italy studying abroad, and **Amber** is her best friend at school. However, most likely these background characters won't make important appearances again, but don't fret. The newcomer next chapter will definitely start turning some cogs with what I'm going with this story.


	3. A Mysterious Man from another World

"_Everything was going so wrong, so fast._

_I should have just called home and accepted my parents' disappointment. I suppose it was my fault for being so ignorant of what was happening to me and allowed that illusion to surprise me. But, it all felt so real, although, the senses can be deceived. I didn't know what to believe, but right then, my mind was telling me that I was being dragged down through a mysterious green pipe which seemed endless… _

…_and I would have never imagined what waited for me at the end of the tunnel…"_

Chapter 2: A Mysterious Man from another World

**???**

The diminutive girl struggled to regain consciousness, but her eyelids were tired and heavy. She could feel warmth beating on her back and something soft cushioning her body. After a few moments, Loretta fluttered her eyes, adjusting to the light. Through her eyelashes, she could see she was lying on bright, green grass. Opening her eyes further, she could tell it was morning as the sky was vividly blue, but her vision was blurry. Touching her face, she realized her glasses were gone. She moved her arms to push herself up, slowly but surely, and scanned her surroundings while still on her stomach. Looking and feeling around, she found them right next to her. As she put them on, to her surprise, she was in some kind of wooded area with tall trees in every direction and scrubs encircling her in the grassy patch. She could hear birds and squirrels chirping above her in the treetops, proving she was outside. Gathering more of her strength, Loretta stood up on her feet and took in the new environment.

"_What's going on?" _she asked herself apparently terrified as she shook. _"How can I possibly be here? This can't still be that strange garden. What is this place?!"_

A myriad of questions piled in the girl's mind as she timidly walked and pushed through the shrubs to find a way out.

"Hello? Is anyone there? Please, can someone help me?!" she called out in the air. Her hopes were getting shot as no one answered. Then, she decided to think back to what happened to her.

"Okay. So, I was bummed out when I couldn't convince the teacher to change my grade, Amber came to cheer me up, I was driving home when my car broke down, I tried to call home but I backed out, then…" It was coming back to her. She remembered the huge yellow star that appeared from the sky and led her toward the big, green tube where something grabbed her and pulled her down. After that, she winded up in this different place.

"That's it!" she said as she snapped her fingers. "I must have gotten here through that creepy pipe, even though that sounds totally ridiculous. If I can find it, then maybe it can take me home." Loretta accepted her plan and feeling more optimistic, she continued to weave through the foliage.

She came to a small slope with a cleared path. She gripped the tall grass to keep herself steady, and as she climbed up, she could hear the sound of running water in her ears. When she reached the top, Loretta was struck with awe as she saw a lovely waterhole in front of her. A small cascade from a cliff poured clear water gently into the pond, and the large groups of tree branches created somewhat a ceiling in the area but still provided a wonderful lighting effect.

Loretta walked over to the edge of the water and stared at her reflection. Her dark hair was messy, her clothes were dirty and wet, and she had a few scratches on her face. She also felt something pitching the lower part of her side, and it itched a little. She tried to find it when she noticed something in the water. Loretta narrowed her eyes and saw something shiny, green, and circular reflecting the light. A wide smile was put on her face when she already found the pipe she was searching for. It being in the water probably explained why there was so much water overflowing on the other side. Loretta didn't mind to get wet again and swim over to get a better look. Finally something good was happening to her for a change.

As she put a foot in the cold water, there was a low growl forcing her to stop. Suddenly, a large vine stretched from out of the pipe, then another, and then two more until the entire surface was covered. Loretta stood frozen as the plant-like tentacles twitched and wrapped around the pipe's body, and the growls continued to get louder. She carefully took her foot out slowly, and a loud roar stabbed at her heart, sending her backwards with a scream of her own as a creature emerged from the pipe. It had a large red head with white spots. It had characteristics like a Venus flytrap, but it had an actual mouth, tongue, and teeth, and it was so vicious, ready to rip apart anything that came close to it, including Loretta. Feeling defeated and obviously not insane, Loretta backed off and hid down behind the slope.

"Oh, what am I going to do?! Not even a weed whacker or weed killer could handle that…that thing!" she ranted. She curled her knees up to her chest and held her head during her panic. "Why me? Why is all of this happening?"

Loretta nearly cried until she lowered her hands from her head, listening carefully to a sound. It sounded like a person talking.

"I…think…heard…ov…there…"

Loretta jumped up, excited to hear an actual person's voice in the forest, at last. She ran in the direction of the voice, and as she got closer, she could have sworn there was another with it.

"Hello? Is someone there?" she called again. The voices were getting further away, and she ran faster, scratching her skin from the branches to not lose them. "Please wait! I'm lost and I don't know how to get home. Please! Pl…"

Without watching where she was stepping, Loretta tripped on a low tree limb, stumbled through the shrubs and onto the ground. She landed on a dirt path in front of two dark figures. They were unusually shaped. One was extremely short and round with no limbs while the other was a little taller but had a hump on its back.

"Hey, who's that?" asked the taller figure with the hump.

"I haven't seen anyone like that before," the limbless figure responded.

Though very dizzy and sick, Loretta lifted her head and looked at the two strangers, relieved, but there wasn't enough sunlight to show their faces.

"Thank goodness I found you. Please, I'm lost and I don't know where I am," she explained to the strangers as she reached for them, but the taller humped one slapped her hand away and pulled a spear from its back.

"Don't touch us, human, and don't move!" it warned her.

"Huh?" Loretta wondered, "What are you talking about? I just need some help."

"Why would we help you?" the shadow laughed. "You're probably an ally to the Mushroom folk; you sure look like someone part of the Toadstool family."

"_Mushroom? Toadstool? What's with all the fungal names?"_

The clouds in the sky shifted with the breeze, and the sunlight returned through the trees. When the light lit up the area, Loretta's face gasped in awe and fear. The two strangers confronting her weren't even human. One was a small, brown, mushroom-like monster with large pointed fangs and thick eyebrows. It only went up to about the height of her knee. The other was a large turtle with yellow scales, standing on its hind legs, and wearing a green shell and boots. It was a little shorter than her, but still abnormally big.

The turtle monster pointed its spear right at her throat, forcing Loretta to back away with her legs as she trembled.

"W, w, what…are…?" She could barely speak.

"You don't you know a Koopa when you see one?" the turtle monster questioned. "What's next? You don't recognize him as a Goomba?! You must be one retarded girl!" it insulted.

"Even if you weren't an enemy," the brown mushroom grinned, "we would still take you anyway." It leaned over to the frighten girl and smirked harder, showing its enormous teeth. "You may not be a Goomba, but you're still a fine lookin' whatever you are."

"Y, y, you're…a…what?"

"Stop it already, you idiot! Let's take her to the boss. She might know where the others are," the so called Koopa figured.

The two creatures inched toward Loretta who still hadn't gotten up from her spot and ran. Her poor, horrified heart couldn't take it anymore.

"N, n…no. Stay away…" she spoke. "Stay away!"

The turtle creature reached its clawed hand to snatch her.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!"

Just then, something flew from the bushes and hit the monsters dead between the eyes, knocking them out. Loretta used the chance to hide away behind a tree. A little dazed, they shortly got back up.

"Dude, what hit us?!" the confused Goomba asked.

The Koopa looked around and found two rocks on the ground. It stood up and searched the area.

"Whoever is out there, show yourself!" it demanded.

The path was quiet and the sound of the wind could be heard as the trees rustled. Neither Loretta nor the mysterious offender made a move. The Koopa signaled to the Goomba to sneak around into the shrubs. They were unknowingly closing in on Loretta who clamped her hands to her mouth and sweated uncontrollably. They were nearly around the tree she was hiding behind as the Koopa scratched its fingers on the bark.

"HERE I AM!"

Another shadow leaped from the trees and kicked the Koopa away from Loretta who was completely baffled by how quick the attack came. The Goomba turned around and tended his partner.

"Uh…" it groaned. "What the hell?!"

The shadow skid to a poised stop and glared at the two creatures. It was a young man who seemed to look human, tall, with narrow green eyes, a light mustache coming in, and styled chestnut hair that went down to his neck. He wore a sleeveless red jacket with brownish fur around the collar, a black shirt, and dark blue jeans which were torn at the bottom and knees. The only thing weird about him was that his nose was huge and round.

The man smirked at the creatures. "I never realized King Koopa's soldiers were disgusting perverts to random little girls. Is your despicable clan and its king so desperate to get satisfaction?"

"Shut your mouth, boy! How dare you disrespect the Koopa Klan?!" the Goomba yelled. It charged straight for the man, baring its jaws at its victim. The man smiled again, bent his legs, and jumped a magnificent somersault over the Goomba's head and landed right on top of it, nearly crushing it flat. He kicked the pancake aside and it hit a tree, leaving cracks in the bark.

"You're dead, human!!" the Koopa threatened. It took its spear and rushed for the mysterious man hoping to impale him through the stomach. The man stood his ground, and when the turtle monster came close, he dodged to the side, then the other, and ducked, missing all of the attacks. The man used the opportunity to punch the creature in the gut. The Koopa jerked back but regain his vigor. It swung again, missing the agile man as he back flipped. He used the momentum of his rebound and pounded the Koopas head, making it retreat in its shell like a real turtle. The man took the big shell and tossed it at the Goomba who popped back to normal in time for the collision.

"And now for the finishing touch…" said the man. He looked down to the ground and glanced at a peculiar flower on the side of the road. It had bright orange and white oval shaped petals, but it had eye slits that seemed to stare.

For the longest time, the scared woman was sitting behind the tree and never caught a glimpse of the conflict. It had quieted, so thinking the trouble was over, she turned around and peeked from her hiding spot. She saw the big nosed man picking a weird orange shaped flower. When he did, something about the wind had shifted and the man's presence had changed. The flower in his hand was combusting into fire and started to surround him. Loretta watched in amazement as the air was getting warmer and the man was engulfed in flames and light. The man menacingly created two balls of fire in his hands and intimidated the two shaken creatures like a pyromaniac.

"Say hello to Savage for me!" he shouted.

The Koopa and Goomba shrieked in utter fear and tried to escape, but the blazing man threw the fireballs like pitching a baseball and knocked the two preys up past the canopy of the trees in a fiery explosion, their screams following as they soared.

Loretta kept her eyes on the rocketing creatures until they couldn't be seen anymore. She couldn't believe the powers the young man possessed. Was it magic? She immediately dismissed it for magic doesn't exist. But with everything she had seen so far, how could she still be denying it? She had enough of the nonsense.

The boy relaxed and the fire powers dissipated from his hands. He moved his head and caught a glimpse of Loretta who gasped and ran away. She didn't know what to accept anymore. The man may have saved her, but he was also strange, and he may very well try to hurt her too with those fire powers or something. She climbed back up where she fell and tried to find the pipe again. She didn't care if a plant-like monster was in it, she wanted to go home.

She came to a clearing, but it wasn't with the green pipe but where she ended up when she was first unconscious. Loretta tried to figure out which way to go from there but something fell from above and landed behind her.

"For a damsel in distress, you sure are ungrateful," it said. Loretta looked back slowly and then had to look up past his chest. She didn't think the man was so much taller than her. Looking past his huge nose and thin mustache, his narrowing green eyes were intense and darting, but at the same time, they looked somewhat sad. He couldn't be all bad if he had such eyes.

"I, I'm sor…"

"Wow," the man interrupted her, "You're a _tiny_ little lass."

"What?!" Loretta shouted. She could feel a vein popping from her forehead. She never had a problem with people pointing out her pitiful height before, but the way the man said it so bluntly, it was unnecessary and rude.

"At least I'm not a towering giant, you big-nosed freak!" she retaliated.

"My, _now_ you have a sharp tongue. And you were so pathetic with those two grunts earlier," he accused.

"Wait a minute. You mean to say you saw me in danger and you didn't do anything about it sooner?!" she guessed with her fury rising.

"It wasn't you I was trying to protect. I was only stopping them from getting any closer to the village that you almost led them to."

"I can't believe you!" she pointed her finger up at him though her small size wasn't very threatening.

"You're the one who won't say thank you."

"I was getting to that, but you know what, I'm not going to give it to you!" Loretta shouted.

"Whatever," the man replied as he rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't have time for you. Just go home where you belong."

Loretta was surprised at the last comment and lowered her head. He told her to go home, but she didn't know how she could do that. She wanted to go home so desperately, and it didn't look like he was going to help her. Plus, she was starting to feel dizzy.

"Nicolas!!" a squeaky voice called.

The sound of a mob was closing in on the two. The bushes moved furiously until the group sprang forth from the trees and shrubs. If things weren't weird enough for Loretta, they got worse. Little people with mushroom spotted caps of different colors and thin black eyes emerged from the foliage. Most of them wore ragged vests and dresses. They had to be three feet at most while some of the others looked like children standing no more than two feet. Loretta panicked and jumped behind the tall man like a shield.

"Why are you doing hiding behind me for?" the man wondered.

"Nicolas!" said a green spotted mushroom.

"Yo," the man named Nicolas simply answered.

"We've been looking all over for you. Where've you been?" a shorter blue spotted mushroom asked.

"I heard some trouble out here while getting wood. Turns out it was a couple of Koopa's soldiers. Don't worry, I took care of them," Nicolas explained casually, unaffected by the mushroom men unlike the distraught Loretta.

"That's good, but if they're this close, then it's only a matter of time until they find us!" a purple spotted mushroom girl figured. The group of little mushroom heads shivered at the thought.

"Don't worry. We'll think of a way to lure them off," Nicolas reassured them. They all stopped shaking and softly smiled up at the giant boy.

Then, a tiny orange spotted mushroom child stepped up next to the boy's long legs. "So, um, who's that behind you, Nicolas? Is she your friend?"

Loretta's eyes bugged out and the hairs on her skin stood up as the mushroom people approached her.

"No! Stay away!" she screamed. Loretta let go of Nicolas and stepped back until she hit a tree.

"What's your problem, girl?" a yellow spotted mushroom asked.

After a moment of gawking at the creatures…

"YOU HAVE MUSHROOM HEADS!!!" she blurted out. The mushroom people blankly stared at the crazy girl.

"O…kay…Thanks for stating the obvious," the green spotted mushroom responded sarcastically.

Loretta was about to run away again when she felt a sharp pain in her side. Her heart was pounding and head was sweating. She panted heavily, held her chest with her hand, and fell to her knees.

"Are you okay?" the orange mushroom child asked worriedly.

"N, no…" she answered weakly, her voice trailing off. "Uh…uh, I…" Loretta was losing consciousness and she finally collapsed on the ground. The six mushroom people immediately surrounded her motionless body.

"Geez Nicolas, whacha do to her?!" the blue spotted mushroom freaked.

"I didn't do anything," he muttered.

"Hmm…I've never thought I'd see another human other than you. She looks like the pure royal kinds from the different countries," the purple spotted mushroom girl examined. She put her tiny hand on her forehead but quickly pulled it back. "She's burning up! We have to do something!"

"Well, I hardly think she's royalty, but she's not our problem anymore. Let's go." The inconsiderate man began to walk off with the mushroom people hesitating to follow him.

"But Mr. Nicolas, we can't leave her here! The Koopas may come back or she could die!" the little orange spotted mushroom pled.

"She has nothing to do with us. Besides, she could be trouble for all we know," he argued.

"Nicolas, this isn't like you. Why are you being so cold?" the purple female mushroom fought back. "Simply turning your back on someone who needs you is being no better than a heartless monster!"

Nicolas suddenly stopped. His eyes changed slightly as he listened to the latter comment. After a few moments, the young man sighed, walked over to the fallen girl and scooped her up in his strong arms.

"Fine. We'll take her back," he decided. "But we're sure going to get an earful from the elder, so you better not run off."

The two mushroom girls smiled. "Thank you."

The man named Nicolas, with the exhausted Loretta in his arms, and the six mushroom people walked back to the dirt trail and followed it into a secret route which would lead them to their home in hopes to help the strange human girl.

*~____~*

**(A/N):** Hopefully at this point you see where I am going with this story. I have interpreted Loretta as being rational, timid, and clumsy. She is rarely passionate unless provoked. Our new character, **Nicolas**, has proven to be strong, rude, and inconsiderate, but he seems to care, somewhat, and has a sort of sadness in himself. We'll get to learn more about him in the next chapter.


End file.
